The Untamed High Mountain Area of Hohe Tauern National Park

Home , Central Eastern Alps, Tauern

A Case in Point eco.mont - Volume 6, Number 1, January 2014 ISSN 2073-106X print version 35 ISSN 2073-1558 online version: http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/eco.mont

The untamed high mountain area of Hohe Tauern National Park

Kristina Bauch & Ferdinand Lainer keywords: Alps, Austria, Hohe Tauern, national park, Natura 2000, bearded vulture, glacier, virgin landscape, wilderness, biodiversity, Symposium on Research in Protected Areas, Nationalparks Austria, protected area management

Abstract Profile In Hohe Tauern National Park one of the last post-glacial virgin landscapes in the central Eastern Alps was designated as a protected area. It is the largest national Protected area park in Central Europe and includes a significant section of the Austrian Central Alps shaped by glaciers and glacial periods. Its highly diverse flora and fauna is repre- Hohe Tauern National Park sentative for all altitudinal zones of the Eastern Alps. Two thirds of the total area of 1 856 km² are designated as core zone and represent a natural landscape almost Mountain range totally free of human intervention. Hohe Tauern National Park was founded in Carin- thia in 1981, in Salzburg in 1984 and in Tyrol in 1992. Alps

Country

Austria

An important part of Austria’s natural ment at all levels aware of the enormous significance heritage of the large-scale maintenance of natural landscapes and ecosystems for future generations. Such sustained On a global scale, Austria is a very small country recognition is also sought internationally. To this end, and yet, its territory is home to an extraordinarily di- the Austrian National Park Strategy was formalized verse natural and cultural landscape. It shares in two in 2010 at policy level and the relevant authorities es- of the eleven biogeographical regions of Europe, the tablished. Since then the eight NP administrations, in alpine and the continental regions. In the east it bor- cooperation with the relevant Federal Ministry of Ag- ders on the Pannonian plain. riculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Manage- Such biogeographical diversity on the European ment, has developed and implemented joint activities scale is reflected in the six Austrian national park (NP) and projects to realize this vision. regions: the imposing, glaciated summits and untamed torrents of the Hohe Tauern; in the centre the rug- A typical high mountain area ged, dry, high plateaus and extensive forests of the Northern Limestone Alps; in the north and east the The Hohe Tauern massif is a typical high mountain still intact Central European riparian woodlands along area and core element of the eastern part of the Alps the Thaya and Danube rivers, and the wide steppes in Central Europe. The character of the landscape has and salt lakes of the Seewinkel region. Unique, largely evolved through the temporal and spatial interaction unadulterated natural landscapes have been conserved of climatic, geological and geomorphological, gla- just in time and been put under a long-term and large- ciological and hydrological as well as through erosion scale protection against commercial exploitation, par- processes. ticularly for energy production. The Hohe Tauern massif rises more than 3 000 m All Austrian NPs have been recognized as IUCN above the adjacent area. The protected area in- Category II protected areas (PAs). Together they cover cludes Austria’s highest summit, the Großglockner 2 350 km² or about 3% of the state territory. United (3 798 m); the largest contiguous glacier area in the under the label Nationalparks Austria (www.national- Eastern Alps in the Venediger group of peaks and parksaustria.at), they jointly work towards their main 266 other summits above 3 000 m, e. g. the Großve aim of making the Austrian population and govern- nediger (3 657 m), the Hohe Sonnblick (3 106 m) A Case in Point 36

NP core zone ! NP administraon Federal state border NP buﬀer zone Naonal border SAlzburger Geographisches InformaonsSystem, SAGIS, hp://www.salzburg.gv.at/themen/nuw/nuw/naonalpark.htm E-Mail: na[email protected]; Eding: Mag. Barbara Hochwimmer 2013, Ref. 13/03 Source: © SAGIS, TIRIS, KAGIS hp://www.salzburg.gv.at/copyright.htm The federal state Salzburg assumes no liability for completeness and accuaracy. Figure 1 – Position and reach of Hohe Tauern NP in the federal lands of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol.

and the Ankogel (3 252 m). East to west it stretches The Tauern window stretches across 160 km, from across 100 km, north to south across 40 km. The the Brenner groove in the west to the Katschberg altitudinal range starts at around 1 000 m in the val- groove in the east, with an average width of some leys to the highest summit at 3 798 m, see Figure 1. 30 km. The geological structure of this section of the The enormous vertical range in the Hohe Tauern Alps resembles that of an onion: the upper tectonic means that there are quite distinct zones: the typical layers are missing and the lower strata of the earth’s climate for the region according to its latitude (warm mantle crop out to the surface. The layers that initially temperate) and the vegetation and geomorphologi- covered them were pushed aside, mainly to the north cal forms linked to it changes with higher elevations. and the south, during thrust and folding processes and The ridges and summits jut out far beyond the natural today frame this geological window. treeline at 2 200 to 2 300 m (dependent on exposition) The rock series of the Tauern window stem from and a great number of erosion processes continue to the Penninicum. The central gneiss core is made of the shape the landscape. initially lowest layers of the penninic ocean and forms the base of the Venediger, Granatspitz and Ankogel Geological window discovered summits. The gneiss cores are encased by a complicated structure of metamorphous rock series of dif- Not until the early 20th century, i. e. more than 150 ferent ages and formations, the so-called slate mantle. years after the first geological studies in the area by Bel- The Großglockner massif includes erosion-resistant sazar Hacquet, French geologist Pierre Termier noticed greenschists, such as prasinites and amphibolites, that the Hohe Tauern massif is the centre of a so-called which are the result of a metamorphosis of magmatic geological window within the Austrian Central Alps. ocean crusts. They in turn are framed by East-Alpine This discovery made it possible to explain the compli- layers that include the Northern Limestone Alps. cated structure of the Eastern Alps with reference to nappe tectonics, a model that had long been used to describe the structure of the Western Alps at the time. Kristina Bauch & Ferdinand Lainer 37

Infobox

Hohe Tauern National Park Total area: 1 856 km² Total core zone: 1 213 km² (app. 2/3) Total buffer zone: 643 km² (app. 1/3)

Carinthia Total area: 440 km²; Total core zone: 327 km²; Total buffer zone: 113 km² Established: 1981; International IUCN recognition: 2001 Figure 2 – The Habach emerald, which was discovered in the Ownership: public: 1%, private (individuals, municipalities): 84%, private Alpine slate rocks of the Habach valley. © HTNP/F. Rieder associations: 13%, others: 2% 7 NP municipalities: Großkirchheim (seat of the NP administration), Heiligenblut, Glistening and glittering treasury Mörtschach, Winklern, Mallnitz (BIOS visitor centre), Obervellach, Malta

Another result of the transformation processes that Salzburg physically and chemically changed all original rocks Total area: 805 km²; Total core zone: 539 km²; Total buffer zone: 266 km² during the formation of the Alps was the emergence Established: 1984; International IUCN recognition: 2006 of so-called extension clefts, in which hot, saturated Ownership: public (Austrian Federal Forests AG): 35%, private (individuals, mu- aqueous solutions circulated. The clefts formed when nicipalities): 59%, private Alpine associations: 6%, others: 0% the bedrock expanded during the lifting of the mas- 13 NP municipalities: Mittersill (seat of the NP administration, NP Center Mitter- sif. The wider extension clefts in particular have open sill), Krimml, Wald im Pinzgau, Neukirchen, Bramberg, Hollersbach, Uttendorf, cavities where the dissolved minerals could crystallize Kaprun, Fusch, Rauris, Bad Gastein, Hüttschlag, Muhr in an ideal-typical manner when pressure and tem- perature decreased during the lift. This process lasted Tyrol several million years. Current thinking puts the age of Total area: 611 km²; Total core zone: 347 km²; Total buffer zone: 264 km² the youngest cleft minerals at about five million years. Established: 1992; International IUCN recognition: 2006 The Hohe Tauern area has been known for par- Ownership: public: 0%, private (individuals, municipalities): 54%, private Alpine ticularly beautiful crystal finds since prehistoric times. associations: 46%, others: 0% In addition to their value for science they have been 10 NP municipalities: Matrei i. O. (seat of the NP administration, National- entered into the mineral collections of natural history parkhaus Matrei visitor centre), Prägraten, Virgen, St. Jakob im Defereggen, museums in many countries as prize exhibits. More St. Veit im Defereggen, Hopfgarten, Kals am Großglockner, Nußdorf-Debant, than 150 different minerals have been identified in the Iselsberg, Dölsach NP area to date. Some are so small as to be hardly noticeable, others are up to a metre in size and weigh Natural assets of Hohe Tauern NP more than 600 kg (Figure 2). Max. length west-east: 100 km; Max. length north-south: 40 km; Such hydrothermal processes also formed the many Altitudinal range: 1 000 m to 3 798 m (Großglockner), 266 summits above deposits of tungsten, arsenic, copper, silver and gold. 3 000 m From the Middle Ages into modern times, gold, silver Glaciated area: 170 km² (app. 9%) and copper mining was a very significant economic Running waters: 1 000 km, 279 natural torrents, of which 57 glacier-fed, 26 factor in the Tauern region. The wealth of the Salz- major waterfalls (Krimml waterfalls: 380 m, hold the European Diploma of Pro- burg archbishopric, manifested in a number of mag- tected Areas), 10 ravines nificent buildings in the town, stemmed from salt min- Lakes: 551, sizes from 35 m² to 27 ha, max. depth 56.8 m, at locations up to ing but also from precious metal mining in the Hohe 2 943 m Tauern. In the NP today, only remnants of this once Glaciers, rocks with and without vegetation, screes: 50% flourishing sector remain in the shape of dilapidated Alpine sedges (Carex curvula), alpine pasture (Nardus stricta) and dwarf shrub miners’ houses and adits or slag heaps. The oldest re- heaths (Vaccinium sp., Rhododendron ferrugineum, Juncus communis var. saxa- cords testify to copper mining in the Hohe Tauern as tilis): 36% early as the Bronze Age, ca. 1800 BCE. The highest al- Forest (Alnus incana, Picea abies, Larix decidua, Pinus cembra), green alder (Al- titude at which mining took place in the Hohe Tauern nus viridis) and dwarf pine shrubland (Pinus mugo subsp. mugo): 11% was for gold and silver in the Glockner range at almost Running and standing waters, infrastructure (e. g. alpine pasture huts, mountain 2 900 m, south-east of the Kloben summit (2 936 m). huts): 3% (limestone) siliceous fens: 766, total area 13.62 km² Permanent nature workshop Alpine alluvial areas (Carex bicolor, Carex atrofusca): 68, total size 285 ha Characteristic fauna: bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), griffon vulture (Gyps No sooner had the summits and ridges of the fulvus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), black Hohe Tauern been lifted up that erosion set in grouse (Tetrao tetrix), Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), through weathering and gravitational forces. Rock- Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) A Case in Point 38

shaped valleys cut by the rivers were planed and deep- ened. The pre-Ice Age relief was considerably altered by such depth and side erosion on the one hand, and by material transport and new deposit of debris, on the other. The U-shaped valleys so characteristic for the Hohe Tauern emerged, as did cirques – often the basins of the numerous high mountain lakes – and impressive moraine ridges. To this day, deep scarring on rocks, the so-called glacial polish, testifies to the enormous forces the glacier ice and the included debris exerted on its surroundings. About 15 000 to 10 000 years ago, the last great glacial period ended and the Hohe Tauern glaciers melted in several phases down to their current size (Figure 3 & 4). Hohe Tauern NP (HTNP) protects important Aus- Figure 3 – Head of the Wildgerlos valley with prominent moraines from trian glaciated areas and the last glacier-fed torrents 1856, the most recent significant glacier advance in the Hohe Tauern. In the that have not been harnessed for hydro-electricity pro- back Reichenspitze summit (3 303 m) with Wildgerloskees, eastern Zillertal duction. In total, about 9% or 170 km² of the NP area Alps. © HTNP / F. Rieder is glaciated. The Pasterze is the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps. It is 8.3 km long, covers 17.3 km² and has a volume of 1.7 km³. Of particular interest are the glacier forefield, i. e. the areas between the moraine deposits from the last recorded glacier growth in the Hohe Tauern in 1850, and the current end of the glacier tongues. These are genuine primary landscapes without human impact. The process of their colonization by fungi, flora and fauna as primary succession can be observed and studied without interference.

Great diversity of habitats and species

The relief and the larger landscape forms are mainly the result of distant geological and glaciological processes. In contrast, today’s occurrence and distribution Figure 4 – Glacier mouth of Schlatenkees at the head of Innergschlöss valley, of habitats and species in the Hohe Tauern are the Venediger massif. The glacier has receded dramatically within the last 25 years. result of immigration, resettlement and ongoing spe- In the back the Schwarze Wand summit (3 517 m). © HTNP / Brucker cies formation and succession processes that started with the big glacier retreat about 10 000 years after the fall, landslides and the permanent erosion by running last glacial period. water shaped the scenery of these young mountains: In addition, from about the 11th century CE, hu- rugged rock faces and ridges, sharp peaks, steep valley mans began to adapt the natural biocoenoses to their flanks, extensive screes, imposing valley heads, mas- needs. In the montane zone, in particular, they cleared sive alluvial and debris fans, narrow ravines with water some of the hitherto unbroken forests and changed falling down hundreds of metres characterize the vis- the open areas to pasture land. Where the spruce for- ible relief of the Hohe Tauern to this day. The entire ests had been comparatively poor in species, the richly network of valleys and the original formation of the structured, near-natural cultural landscape that estab- valleys is all the work of running water cutting into the lished itself in their place created new habitats and not rock and carrying loose sediment away. just for domestic animals. And yet it was the youngest and so far latest major The high mountain climate is another limiting and landscape-forming process that gave the Hohe Tauern decisive factor for the biocoenoses. It changes with its current appearance, i. e. the Ice Age glaciation. Dur- increasing elevation, exposition and gradient, from ex- ing this era Europe experienced several cold phases posed ridges to protected corries, and, in combination when the mountain ranges of the Alps were almost with the geological, geomorphological and hydrologi- completed covered by a network of ice flows several cal local conditions, makes for an incredibly diverse kilometres thick, which in Austria reached far into the mosaic of habitats within a small space. The NP is foothills of the Alps. characterized by distinct elevation zones that present a For thousands of years the slowly flowing ice succession and distribution of cleverly and specifically pushed tons of debris downhill. The originally V- adapted species and biocoenoses (Figure 5 & 6). Kristina Bauch & Ferdinand Lainer 39

Figure 5 – A wealth of species in Hohe Tauern NP: 1 296 butterfly species, here: yellow tiger moth, Arctia flavia © P. Gros. 1 000 species of lichen, here: Cladonia sp. © HTNP / F. Rieder. 114 bird species, here: bluethroat, Luscinia svecica svecica. © HTNP / Carinthia. 52 mammal species, here: ibex, Capra ibex. © HTNP / Carinthia

HTNP includes all Central-Alpine habitats in suf- Today the NP also provides a long-term secure ficient size and in combination. It ensures not just habitat for animal species that became extinguished the continuation of remnants of former natural land- across large parts of Europe in the early 19th century, scapes, rather it maintains complete ecosystems with e. g. Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), golden eagle all their regulation mechanisms. The NP thus repre- (Aquila chrysaetos), ibex (Capra ibex) or the bearded vul- sents a significant portion of the characteristic land- ture (Gypaetus barbatus). scapes and ecosystems, not just of Austria but of the More than half of the vertebrates occurring in Eastern Alps. Glaciers, rocks with and without plant HTNP are strictly protected by international conven- cover, and screes make up around 50% of the NP tions like the Fauna Flora Habitat Directive or the area, ca. 36% is alpine grassland (Carex curvula), moun- Birds Directive. About a third of these species are on tain pastures (Nardus stricta) and dwarf shrubs (Vac- the Red List of endangered animals in Austria. Large cinium sp., Rhododendron ferrugineum, Juncus communis var. PAs like HTNP are thus proven significant retreats saxatilis), just over 11% are forests (Picea abies, Larix for species that are severely threatened across Europe. decidua, Pinus cembra) or green alder (Alnus viridis) and dwarf pine (Pinus mugo subsp. mugo) shrubland, the rest Establishing the national park are running and stagnant bodies of water as well as infrastructure, e. g. various types of mountain huts. Initial ideas of establishing a large PA in the Hohe The NP is home to about a third of all known ferns Tauern were put forward at the beginning of the and flowering plants in Austria and a similar propor- 20th century. In 1913, Salzburg-based lawyer August tion of butterflies, dragonflies and grasshoppers. For Prinzinger organized donations for the purchase of fungi, lichens, mammals, birds, amphibians and rep- 1 100 ha land in the Stubach valley by the German- tiles, the proportion occurring in HTNP is nearer Austrian Naturschutzpark association, with the aim 50%, rising to around two thirds for all known bum- of keeping this area free from human interventions. blebee and harvestmen species. For the numerous in- It took almost 60 more years before the governors vertebrate groups we have only isolated, unverified or of the federal lands of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol older evidence. signed the Heiligenblut Agreement in 1971, the first

Figure 6 – The species diversity reflects the enormous diversity of habitats in the Hohe Tauern: left: a typical Alpine alluvial area with bicoloured sedge, Carex bicolor, and scorched Alpine sedge, C. atrofusca, in the Pasterze glacier forefield © NPHT / H. Wittmann. Right: Vordermoos, a typical fen in Hollersbach valley. © NPHT / F. Rieder A Case in Point 40

formal basis for establishing a national park in the The aims of the NP, however, go far beyond prevent- Hohe Tauern. It was at the time a conscious decision ing large developments. The NP regulations require against the pressing interests of electricity producers the NP administrations to fulfil clear ecological and and tourism actors who envisaged numerous large conservationist aims as manifested in the PA zoning projects for hydro-electricity production and touristic enshrined in law. The three zones of HTNP differ in development of the glacier regions for skiing in the their natural assets, their conservation aims and their Hohe Tauern. And yet these efforts were still miles protective regulations: away from the standards of an internationally recognized national park. Core zone Plans for large hydro-electric power stations on Around two thirds of the NP are designated as both sides of the Hohe Tauern went on despite clear core zone and cover the unique natural landscape of political signals to the contrary. The signing of the the Hohe Tauern. This central protective zone covers agreement was followed by years of laborious negotia- summits and rugged peaks so typical for the Eastern tions with the population and interest groups affected Alps, glaciers and their forefields, natural alpine grass- by the NP plans. Controversies centred on concerns land, high mountain lakes, torrents and mountain for- that the NP would be detrimental to the economic de- ests. In the core zone of the NP nature protection has velopment of the entire region. The spatial scale of the priority over all other aims. Here no intervention in project and the range of themes and areas of activity the natural landscape and the ecosystems are allowed that it touched, such as agriculture, hunting, forestry, nor any impairment of the scenery. Exceptions are tourism, energy production and infrastructure, as well made for appropriate agri- and silvicultural activities as conservation and environmental protection, meant as long as they are adapted to the natural conditions, that there was an enormous number of stakeholders. hunting and fishing within the hunting and fishing The fact that three federal lands were involved made regulations, as well as traditional walking and hiking the situation even more complicated. Despite the NP tourism. The NP management ensures that natural commission being conceived as a cross-border body dynamics and developments can occur here without and acting as such, the different initial conditions in human intervention. the three federal lands meant that from the start land- specific development paths were being pursued. All Buffer zone the same, the actors had to come together to work in The buffer zone encapsulates the core zone and partnership and find a consensus with all stakeholders forms a transition to the permanently settled area out- for establishing a large NP. In this PA the conservation side the PA. This is where the typical Hohe Tauern of the natural landscape should carry equal weight cultural landscape is found, created and maintained with the protection of centuries old extensively used by humans. It includes mountain pastures, traditional cultural landscape. herdspeople’s huts, wooden fences, dry-stone walled Eventually the three federal lands passed the rel- enclosures, mountain hay meadows and protective for- evant legislation, Carinthia first in 1981, then Salzburg ests. Here, too, technical developments, for instance in 1983. In Tyrol it took until 1992 before the NP was for energy production or extraction of raw materials, realized along the aims formulated in 1971: “to maintain for ski tourism or public transport are prohibited. The a particularly impressive and varied part of the Austrian Alps priorities in the buffer zone are maintaining landscape in its beauty and its native state for ever more, as the model of a characteristics, recreational aspects and diversity of representative Austrian landscape, for the benefit of the popula- habitats and species which depend on extensive graz- tion and of science, and in support of the economy.” ing or mowing. HTNP is the oldest and largest Austrian NP. The landscapes of the three separately administrated areas Special conservation areas border on each other and form a contiguous area in the Areas of special ecological or landscape signifi- main range of the central Eastern Alps between the cance may be designated as special conservation areas catchment areas of the rivers Isel, Möll, Salzach and by federal land directive, if the agreement of the af- Mur. The valleys opening to the north belong to Salz- fected land owners and holders of rights of use can burg, those on the southern slopes to Carinthia and be obtained. Special conservation areas are the strict- Tyrol. The total area of HTNP amounts to 1 856 km². est protection category in HTNP. To date five special conservation areas have been designated with a total Zoning area of 68 km².

A strict law that allowed no exceptions has pro- National park region tected the Hohe Tauern area against destruction by The permanently settled area of the so-called Na- large developments. Achieving such protection against tional Park Region starts just outside the boundaries massive resistance and conflicting interests has rightly of the NP. It includes 35 municipalities with a total been celebrated as a significant success in spatial plan- of some 93 000 inhabitants. There are no villages or ning and conservation policy for Austria as a whole. permanently lived-in settlements within the entire NP. Kristina Bauch & Ferdinand Lainer 41

International recognition For HTNP this means that it is de facto an association of three independently established and run Unlike most other NPs across the world, HTNP NP administrations, both in law and in organization, was established mainly on private property in the mid- with separate decision-making bodies, administrative dle of the vibrant and densely settled economic region hierarchies, staff and budgets. In an effort to enable of Central Europe. It was neither desired nor possi- cooperation across PAs and federal lands within this ble to pass a law stopping the rights of use linked in framework, an inner-Austrian state treaty was signed Austria to land ownership, such as grazing and wood in 1994, which also formally integrated the national exploitation or hunting rights, as this would have level, as the republic provides national funds in ad- been equivalent to expropriation. In consequence, dition to the federal land funds. At the political level, the IUCN did not acknowledge HTNP immediately the NP Council was created and at the operative level as a Category II PA once it had been established. the NP directorate, supported by the Council Office. As early as 1986, shortly after the Salzburg part While the administrations of the other Austrian of the NP had been designated, an IUCN delegation NPs were established as limited companies, the three travelled through the Carinthian and Salzburg sections administrations of HTNP, for historical reasons, are of the NP. The experts admired and acknowledged made up of different organizational units: the NP di- the efforts made to safeguard this natural and cultural rectors and some of their staff are civil servants of the landscape, to disseminate the NP concept and to inte- relevant federal land, others are employees of the rel- grate the municipalities and the local population. And evant NP fund. All employees are also engaged in the yet, the delegation did not put the areas in Category II business activities of their respective NP fund, regard- for NPs, where the priority is on protecting ecosys- less of employment status. The NP Act in Salzburg tems and processes, but in Category V for Protected has one peculiarity in that the NP administration takes Landscapes. At that time the extent of agriculture, for- on the sovereign power for executing it as first judicial estry and hunting in the core zone was inadequately authority for the core zone and as second-level author- determined. ity for the buffer zone. In the other two federal lands Not until 15 years later could the path be cleared the execution of the NP Acts is the responsibility of for international recognition. It took years of nego- the respective district administration. tiation and some financial compensation throughout much of the core and some of the buffer zones to ob- Natural space management tain contractual agreements with the owners to aban- don hunting in particular. Carinthia reached this goal The central aim of an internationally recognized in 2001, Salzburg and Tyrol followed in 2006. Category II NP is a natural environment free from human intervention. To this end, two thirds of the core Organization and administration

Given its origin and framework conditions, the or- Infobox ganizational structure of HTNP is comparatively com- plex. To enable it to fulfil its many and varied tasks, the Contact necessary decision-making and advisory bodies and Hohe Tauern National Park fields of activity were created in the three administra- www.hohetauern.at tions. At the core of the agenda are the operational areas natural space management, science and research, and Nationalparkverwaltung Kärnten education and visitor information. In full awareness of the Döllach 14, 9843 Großkirchheim, Carinthia, Austria fact that HTNP is embedded in a region where peo- Tel.: 0043 (0) 4825 6161 – 0, Fax: 0043 (0) 4825 6161 – 16 ple work, live and do business, the NP administrations [email protected] also substantially support the maintenance of the cultural landscape, regional development and the creation Nationalparkverwaltung Salzburg of appropriate attractions for tourism. Gerlos Straße 18, 5730 Mittersill, Salzburg, Austria Tel.: 0043 (0) 6562 40849 – 0, Fax: 0043 (0) 6562 40849 – 40 An association of PAs in law and in fact [email protected] The distribution of responsibilities between the national and the federal land level is set down in the Nationalparkverwaltung Tirol Austrian federal constitution. It contains a general Kirchplatz 2, 9971 Matrei i. O., Tyrol, Austria clause in favour of the federal lands, which puts con- Tel.: 0043 (0) 4875 5161 – 0, Fax: 0043 (0) 4875 5161 – 20 servation, and hence NPs, in legislation and execu- [email protected] tion within the autonomous realm of the nine federal lands. Austria thus has no national conservation nor a Education and visitor offerings: nation-wide national park law or basic federal laws as www.nationalparkerlebnis.at in Germany. www.hohetauern.at/de/bildung/bildungsprogramme.html A Case in Point 42

Figure 7 – The released bearded vultures are marked with bleached feathers (far left: young bird) and colour-coded rings and wear a satellite sender to monitor the daily position of the young birds (far right: adult bird). The positions can be called up on www.hohetauern.at under Bartgeier online. © NPHT / M. Knollseisen

zone area of HTNP were taken out of use by means with the support of mine owner Ignaz Rojacher from of contractual conservation. The ownership structure Rauris. At 3 106 m elevation, it is the highest located of the NP, with more than 1 000 private land own- observatory in the world that is manned all year, far ers, means that this path of negotiation, at eye level away from any sources of emissions, and possesses a and on the basis of voluntary participation, is time- highly valuable continuous climate data series dating consuming and involved, but is the only expedient back to a period when such data were not automati- strategy alongside official conservation. Many years of cally recorded and saved. experience in HTNP have confirmed that the decisive In the early days of systematic natural sciences, the factors for sustained success in NP management are focus was on discovery and qualitative description of trusting cooperation with all affected interest groups animate and inanimate nature. Once HTNP had been and an appropriate compensation for reduced rights. established, research increasingly turned towards the The NP Act by no means repeals all other regu- role of ecological processes and changes, e. g. climate lations. The national laws on forests, water and the change, reduced high mountain grazing, human im- environment remain in force for the PA, as do the pact, as well as towards long-term, standardized moni- federal land laws on hunting and fishing, and the path toring. Scientific monitoring of the resettlement of allowance in the mountains, which allows access to un- the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the Alps is an used land. In addition, the three parts of the NP have important practical example. This international spe- been nominated as Natura 2000 areas according to the cies protection project to return a characteristic spe- Flora Fauna Habitat Directive and the Birds Directive. cies, which had become extinguished across the Alps in the early 20th century, was a pioneering achievement Science and research started in 1986 in the Rauris Kruml valley in HTNP. By 2013, 197 bearded vultures had been released into Research in the Hohe Tauern has a long tradition. the wild across the Alps, 55 young birds in HTNP Even more than 200 years ago, the spectacular but alone. In addition, 109 young birds have successfully rather inaccessible high mountain scenery stimulated hatched in the wild to date. Such a species protection universal scholars such as Franz Xaver von Wulfen project would not have been possible without the (botanist and mineralogist), Sigismund von Hohen- national parks as large PAs and stepping stones in a wart (butterfly expert and botanist) or David Heinrich cross-border ecological network with an administra- Hoppe (physician and botanist) to pioneering achieve- tion that is capable of applying the necessary expertise ments, both in mountaineering and in research terms. in natural landscape management, research and PR in The Großglockner summit particular attracted natural a focused way (Figure 7). scientists of the time who ventured into the inner moun- Today the Hohe Tauern are an internationally rec- tains on some daring expeditions. ognized large PA and research as a function of the PA Another important period in Alpine research in the management is enshrined in law. The NP administra- Hohe Tauern was started in the mid-19th century by tion takes on the coordination and control of third- the brothers Adolph and Hermann Schlagintweit, who party funded research, contract research and NP-initi- measured the Pasterze glacier for the first time in 1864. ated research, all of it on the basis of the NP research Since then the Pasterze has been measured at regu- concept. The two PA categories NP and Natura 2000 lar intervals. The collected data represent the longest provide the spatial and temporal framework for the continuous time series in the world on any glacier. In Hohe Tauern to act as a reference area and dynamic 1886 the Austrian Julius Ferdinand von Hann, who es- research space for international research. tablished modern meteorology, initiated the construc- The NP ensures the required high quality of the tion of an observatory on the Hohe Sonnblick peak, research activities through cooperations with research Kristina Bauch & Ferdinand Lainer 43

are four large visitor information centres, one each in Mittersill, Mallnitz, Matrei and on Franz-Josefs-Höhe at the Großglockner High Alpine Road (Figure 9). They attract visitors from at home and abroad with large-scale, interactive permanent exhibitions. Nearly 20 themed exhibitions in other National Park Region municipalities, a wealth of guided nature excursions in summer and winter, plus themed paths in the area complement the range of visitor options. For schools there are additional themed indoor programmes in the NP Workshop in Hollersbach, at the NP Science Cen- tre in Mittersill, at the BIOS NP Centre in Mallnitz and in the House of Water in St. Jakob im Defereggen, as well as the mobile water and climate school, which have been noted and admired far beyond the boundaries of HTNP. Groups of school kids from other federal lands in Austria and from neighbouring Bavaria in Germany come into the NP regions for NP projects. For adult education and teacher training, the NP has established the NP Academy.

Outlook Figure 8 – The 5th Symposium provided an international and interdisciplinary overview of basic, long-term and applied re- Recently a scientific study was completed on the search in PAs on biodiversity, hydrology, cryosphere, PA man- topic 100 Years of NP concept in the Hohe Tauern. This agement and sustainable development. first thorough academic exploration of the NP’s history provides insights into the multifaceted debates institutions like the University of Innsbruck or the about the protection and use of this large Alpine area, Biodiversity Centre at the Haus der Natur, Salzburg, alongside a discourse about the relationship between through consultation with experts of the international humans and nature as reflected in the contemporary Scientific Advisory Council, through involvement in society of each period. networks like ALPARC (Network of Alpine Protected Neither nature nor the NP concept or NP man- Areas) and Nationalparks Austria and through regular- agement are static categories. International conserva- ly hosting the International Symposium on Research tion policy, too, is dynamic and alive. This means that in Protected Areas. In 2013 the 5th such event was held today initiatives are coming to the fore which focus in Mittersill, Salzburg, and attracted nearly 300 partici- on process-oriented conservation of large wilderness pants (Figure 8). areas. NP Hohe Tauern does not want to dismiss such concepts and will expand its current aims by develop- Education and visitor information ing and designating wilderness areas as defined by the Wild Europe Initiative. HTNP, with its diverse natural space, good visitor infrastructure and specially trained staff, has the perfect prerequisites for a high-quality education and information programme, which aims to raise awareness of conservation and understanding for the NP concept and the PA itself in all its interacting elements. It does this by targeting information to specific visitor groups and providing them with an insightful experience. HTNP bases its efforts on the formula experience + information = awareness of one’s actions and endeavours to adapt its offerings regularly to the latest educational and didac- tic thinking. Not authoritarian, anti-modern environmental education and instruction, instead the NP aims to leverage people’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge, as it arises when they experience nature, to achieve the NP’s educational and dissemination objectives. Figure 9 – Education and visitor information material and programmes are con- The education and visitor options are every bit as stantly being adapted and targeted at the different visitor groups: National Park extensive and diverse as the NP region and the PA Science Centre in Mittersill. © NPHT / Salzburg. The Wilhelm Swarovski itself and cannot be described here in detail. There Observation Point opposite the Großglockner. © K. Dapra A Case in Point 44

References Wittmann, H., Th. Rücker, R. Lindner, P. Gros, O. Stöhr, Ch. Medicus, K. Bauch, F. Jurgeit & K. Aich- Bauch, K., M. Jungmeier & S. Lieb 2007. Forschungs horn 2010. Vielfältiges Leben. Biodiversität in den Hohen konzept Nationalpark Hohe Tauern 2020. Matrei i.O. Tauern. Matrei i.O. Bauch, K. (ed.) 2013. 5th Symposium for Research in BGBl. Nr. 570/1994: Vereinbarung gemäß Art. 15a Protected Areas. Conference Volume. Mittersill. B-VG zwischen dem Bund und den Ländern Kärnten, Salz- Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, burg und Tirol über die Zusammenarbeit in Angelegenheiten des Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft (ed.) 2010. Österreichi Schutzes und der Förderung des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. sche Nationalpark-Strategie. Ziele und Visionen von Nation- LGBl. Nr. 108/1971 i.d.g.F.: Kundmachung der Salz- alparks Austria. Wien. burger Landesregierung vom 19. November 1971, mit der die Floimair, R. (ed.) 1989. Salzburger Nationalpark zwischen den Ländern Kärnten, Salzburg und Tirol getroffene Report. Schriftenreihe des Landespressebüros. Serie Vereinbarung über die Schaffung des Nationalparks Hohe Salzburg Informationen 69. Salzburg. Tauern verlautbart wird. Floimair, R. (ed.) 1994. Umdenken. Zehn Jahre Na- LGBl Nr 55/1983 i.d.g.F.: Gesetz über die Errichtung tionalpark Hohe Tauern in Salzburg – eine Bestands von Nationalparks- und Biosphärenparks (Kärntner Na- aufnahme. Schriftenreihe des Landespressebüros. Serie tionalpark- und Biosphärenparkgesetz – K-NBG). Salzburg Diskussionen 19. Salzburg. LGBl. Nr. 106/1983 i.d.g.F.: Gesetz vom 19. Oktober Füreder, L. 2007. Nationalpark Hohe Tauern – 1983 über die Errichtung des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern im Gewässer. Wissenschaftliche Schriften des National- Land Salzburg. parks Hohe Tauern. Innsbruck. LGBl. Nr. 103/1991 i.d.g.F.: Gesetz vom 9. Oktober Hartl, H. & T. Peer 2005. Nationalpark Hohe Tauern – 1991 über die Errichtung des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern in Pflanzen. Wissenschaftliche Schriften des National- Tirol (Tiroler Nationalparkgesetz Hohe Tauern). parks Hohe Tauern. Klagenfurt. Huemer, P. & C. Wieser 2008. Nationalpark Hohe Authors Tauern – Schmetterlinge. Wissenschaftliche Schriften des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. Innsbruck. Kristina Bauch Kärntner Nationalparkfonds Hohe Tauern (ed.) Born 1967. Holds a diploma in botanics and veg- 2011. 30 Jahre Nationalpark Hohe Tauern Kärnten. etation science from the University of Salzburg. In- Kärntner Nationalparkschriften 13. Großkirchheim. ternship at the Federal Agency for Nature Conserva- Krainer, K. 1994. Die Geologie der Hohen Tauern. Wis- tion, Bonn, Germany. Further studies at the University senschaftliche Schriften des Nationalparks Hohe Tau- of Bergen, Norway. Started work at HTNP Salzburg ern. Klagenfurt. administration in October 1994. Responsible for coor- Kupper, P. & A.-K. Wöbse 2013. Geschichte des Na- dinating science and research and Natura 2000 issues. tionalparks Hohe Tauern. Wissenschaftliche Schriften Organizer of the international symposia on research in des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. Innsbruck. PAs since 1996. Member of the ALPARC – ISCAR-P Lieb G.K. & H. Slupetzky 2011. Die Pasterze. Der Scientific Board and the Editorial Board of eco.mont Gletscher am Großglockner. Salzburg. since 2008. Head of the Scientific Advisory Coucil of Salzburger Nationalparkfonds Hohe Tauern (ed.) HTNP in Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol since 2011. 2012. Tätigkeitsbericht 2012. Mittersill. Contact: [email protected] Salzburger Nationalparkfonds Hohe Tauern (ed.) 1996. Der Bartgeier und seine Heimkehr in die Alpen. Ein Ferdinand Lainer internationales Artenschutzprojekt. Neukirchen am Grv. Born 1959. Studied forestry at the University of Stüber, E. & N. Winding 2007. Die Tierwelt der Hohen Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. State Tauern – Wirbeltiere. Wissenschaftliche Schriften des exam in forestry. Worked at the Styrian Chamber of Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. Innsbruck. Agriculture and Forestry from February 1985 to No- Wittmann, H., O. Stöhr, R. Krisai, S. Gewolf, vember 1987, responsible for silvicultural support, S. Frühwirth, Th. Rücker & W. Dämon 2007a. the energy forest programme and forest road / farm- Erfassung der Moore im Nationalpark Hohe Tau- stead access in the Upper Mur valley. Started work ern in den Bundesländern Kärnten, Salzburg und Ti- at HTNP Salzburg administration in November rol. Pflanzensoziologische und standortökologische Un- 1987. Responsible for natural space management; tersuchung der Moore des NPHT. Unveröffentlichte surveyor for authority procedures and conserva- Studie im Auftrag des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. tion expert for the Salzburg NP region. Heads the Wittmann, H., O. Stöhr, R. Krisai, S. Gewolf, S. international species protection project to rein- Frühwirth, Th. Rücker & W. Dämon 2007b. Vollerfas- troduce the bearded vulture in the Hohe Tauern. sung und Dokumentation der alpinen Schwemmländer mit Pio- Contact: [email protected] nierformationen des Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae im National- park Hohe Tauern. Unveröffentlichte Studie im Auftrag Nationalparkverwaltung Hothe Tauern Salzburg, Ger- des Nationalparks Hohe Tauern. los Straße 18, 5730 Mittersill, Austria, Tel.: 0043 (0) 6562 40849 – 0